The City of Edinburgh Council is to take samples at three sites in Edinburgh as part of a long-running inspection programme in former industrial areas. They include the site of the old Portobello power station, the former Northfield chemical works and a former chemical works at Abbeyhill.
Legislation requires local authorities to identify and assess such sites to check they are safe for their current use. The three sites will now have a more detailed inspection as part of a wider programme of works that will take a number of years. The work will begin in March and involves specialist contractors taking soil, gas and water samples.
“There’s no reason to think there are specific concerns with these sites," said Cllr Robert Aldridge, Environment Leader at the City of Edinburgh Council, "but as with any area that has an industrial heritage, Edinburgh needs to consider the possibility of an unwanted legacy. The legislation is there to make sure we actively look for possible problems, so I have to stress that this is very much precautionary work. The health and well-being of residents is paramount and we will keep all of those in the affected areas informed as the investigations proceed."
The red brick Portobello Power Station which stood at the junction of Kings Road and Portobello High Street was opened by George V in 1923 and from 1936 heated the water of the adjacent outdoor Portobello swimming pool. It was demolished in the late Seventies.
The Abbeyhill chemical was located near the site of Calton New Cemetry and the railway line on the edge of Edinburgh's Old Town while the Northfield Chemical Works, which saw its 120 foot chimney destroyed in 1960, operated East of Holyrood Park and West of Portobello.
The Council is writing to local residents informing them of the works. Site investigations should take only a few days although it is expected that it will take several months to analyse and report back on the results.
Further information is available from the Environmental Assessment Team on 0131 469 5922 or [email protected].